Products using electronic devices and systems have continued to increase in quantity as well as applications across the aspects of our daily lives. With the ever-increasing numbers and scope, the electronic devices further demand increases in storing information and programs. Some of the electronic devices have developed considerable computing ability even within very small areas and dimensional form factors to the point that these devices can process significant amounts of data or execute sizable programs. Continued development of new application types or functions requires the ability to accommodate additional data or programs for continued use of the existing electronic devices or device form factors.
Wide spread use of portable host computers, including laptops, notebooks, palmtops, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers, has been severely hampered by limited capabilities for expansion or customization. Expansion and application customization has been performed through very limited slots for removable expansion modules for I/O, I/O adapters, memories, and memory adapters. Memory expansion modules have included DRAM, SRAM, ROM, and Flash technologies. I/O expansion modules have included dedicated peripherals, networking, modems, wireless communications, serial I/O, and bar code and other scanners. Having very limited slots meant memory and memory related expansion has been limited to standard product dimensions.
One of the current memory modules is the Multi Media card (MMC) at 1.4 mm thick, 24 mm wide, and 32 mm long. Another current memory module, the Secure Digital memory module (SD memory card, SD memory, or SD) is an extension of the Multi Media card standard. The Secure Digital standard adds cryptographic security, up to four times improvement in peak data transfer rate, mechanical write-protect switch, and improved ESD tolerance. Physically, the Secure Digital memory module asymmetrically modifies the 1.4 mm by 24 mm wide Multi Media card form factor by augmenting the bottom (contact) side with a 0.7 mm thick and 22.5 mm wide area for an overall module thickness of 2.1 mm. The Secure Digital memory module has the same 32 mm length as the Multi Media card.
These dimensional standards severely constrain the amount of memory that can be contained within the current form factors for memory modules. Improvements in the integrated circuit memory technology primarily with respect to circuit density, cannot keep pace with the demands for more memory capacity in the standard form factors. These demands are such that several attempts have been made to increase the number of integrated circuit memory devices within the current memory modules. These attempts to increase the number of integrated circuits have resulted in significant new challenges and issues including but not limited to non-standard dimensional form factors and integrated circuit mounting complexity resulting in decreased performance and increased costs.
Across virtually all applications, there continues to be growing demand for increasing capacity and increasing performance of integrated circuit memory. The seemingly endless restrictions and requirements are no more visible than with products in our daily lives. Smaller and denser integrated circuits are expected in many portable electronic products as well as in many larger electronic systems. As the demand grows for smaller electronic products with more features, manufacturers are seeking ways to include more capacity within the same product dimensional form factors.
Thus, a need still remains for an integrated circuit package system to provide improved capacity and manufacturing yield within standard form factors. In view of the increasing demand for improved integrated circuits and particularly more capacity in small products at lower costs, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.